A quality performance after the break that yielded Ballack and Deco goals and a Lampard penalty pulled this game around with ease.

Yet again the Blues fell behind to a goal before the interval but sometimes you just can't beat a good cliché and in terms of chances at least, this was a true game of two halves.

Ancelotti's decision to alter his formation may have taken time to work but after a laboured first-half of few genuine openings, work it most certainly did as the Blues came out the dressing room for the second period firing on all cylinders. Sunderland were overrun.

So diamonds are not forever after all. Instead a 4-3-2-1 team shape was utilised from the start of this game, Deco and Kalou playing behind spearhead Drogba, with Ballack, Essien and Lampard further back. Chelsea were heavy in numbers in the centre of the park against Sunderland's middle two.

There was also a change at the back where Ivanovic was paired with Terry against Kenywne Jones and Darren Bent.

With the game underway, Lampard's second-minute snap shot from a Deco knock back was skewed well over. Sunderland went up the other end and Bent broke free but shot wide.

In Chelsea's next period of attack, Bosingwa struck a testing cross from deep into the box and Essien fired off-target. But it was a pretty even start to the game.

With quarter-of-an-hour gone, Chelsea were beginning to press the home side back, especially down our right flank.

However only two minutes more passed before Sunderland were ahead and there was a hint of Hull's goal at the weekend about it as the ball once again broke kindly for the opponents.

This time it was as Ivanovic and Terry challenged Jones on the edge of the area and an attempted pass forward diverted off the skipper into Darren Bent's path. As he did last season for Tottenham at the Bridge, the striker finished low past Cech.

Ballack skied a shot a long, long way over on his side's first attempt to level matters up. The chances when they came were all from the edge of the area or further.

Cattermole made a late challenge on 28 minutes on Ivanovic and Deco briefly threatened to put Kalou through with a well-spotted pass but it skipped off the turf and through to the keeper.

When Ballack did finally strike on-target, after a corner was cleared his way, Cattermole was in the right place to clear the powerful shot off the line.

The remainder of the first half was midfield bustle and inactivity for the two goalkeepers. An improvement would be needed after the interval.

Lampard's early scuffed shot from 25 yards into the sidenetting showed little sign of change but then the Blues forcefully won consecutive corners, the second of which Drogba thumped just over with his forehead.

Lampard then struck a reverse pass over to Cole who looked about to score as the ball was kicked off his head. It was a momentary respite for Steve Bruce's men. The corner that followed found its way to Ballack's feet at the far post and this time he found the gap between post and the man on the line. It was all square with 51 minutes played.

The next action saw Ivanovic booked for checking the attacking run of Jones but from 20 yards out, the Sunderland striker couldn't make Chelsea pay with the free kick.

The same could not be said of Drogba on the hour when with ball at his feet he decided to take on McCartney in the box. Going first outside, the Chelsea striker checked back inside and the full-back couldn't compete. He could only foul.

Lampard was as unerring as ever with the penalty. He joins Jimmy Greaves on 132 goals for the club, the fifth all-time best.

Sunderland were provoked into two changes by Chelsea's excellence since the break, one of them the replacement of Jones with Fraizer Campbell up front. But the ball was rarely at the end for the rest of the game as the tactics continued to work well, the Blues finding team-mates with ease.

Another great chance came when Cole crossed for Drogba to dive and head down, only to see the ball bounce up and over.

Deco with his right foot was far more deadly for his first goal for Chelsea since December. All that he needed was a little burst of acceleration on the outside of Collins and then an accurate cross shot which rebounded off the inside post and in. This three points was not to be let slip.

Drogba, ever-involved, was booked for playing on and finishing after being whistled up for offside. Two games gone and unfortunately two highly-avoidable bookings.

He was later replaced by Sturridge and there was also time on the pitch at the end for Shevchenko who was given a big cheer by the happy Chelsea end. It was the younger of the two substitute strikers who had a late shot, but it was curled into the keeper's arms.

By then Sunderland were well finished. Chelsea pick up away from home where we left of last campaign - with three points on Wearside.

Chelsea (4-3-2-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry (c), A Cole; Ballack, Essien, Lampard; Kalou (Malouda 75), Deco (Shevchenko 86); Drogba (Sturridge 83).
Scorers Ballack 51, Lampard (pen) 60, Deco 69.
Booked Ivanovic 54, Drogba 74.

Sunderland (4-4-2): Fulop; Bardsley, Ferdinand, Collins (c), McCartney; Henderson, Cana, Cattermole (Leadbitter 61), Richardson (Reid 83); Bent, Jones (Campbell 61).
Scorer Bent 17.
Booked Richardson 28, Cana.